Location
Car is not necessary
About St Gervais
St Gervais forms part of the EVASION MONT BLANC ski area, with 430 kms of pistes spread over a huge geographic area that includes Megève, Combloux, Les Contamines, and La Giettaz.
This is a huge domain, but is very far from being a mass-tourism resort; this is definitely an area that has yet to be 'discovered'. Out of high season, (school holidays!), you can easily find you have the slopes and the lifts practically to yourselves- the pistes have been beautifully groomed just for you! The lift staff, mostly drawn from the local village communities, are friendly and helpful, making this, all in all, a very special place to ski. People who have discovered this area do not then want to go and ski anywhere else. This is traditional skiing at it's best.
The St.Gervais-Bettex ski area is seamlessly linked to the Megève Mont D'Arbois slopes and thus offers a huge skiing domain. (Ski Megève without the queues to and from the lifts through the centre of Megève.) Beginners are very well catered for with an excellent local ski school, and many green and blue trails, (and not just short runs either ). Intermediate skiers will find paradise, being able to ski for miles and miles on beautiful blue and red runs. Expert skiers will not be disappointed; there are many challenging runs, including one of the most daunting black runs in the Alps, the famous 'Chamois' off the shoulder of the Mont Joly, as well as some excellent off-piste. This (unfortunately!) is where Chamonix comes to ski on snowy days.
Our ski area is excellent for all weather conditions. The wide open spaces of the Mont Joux, Mont Joly and Les Contamines are a delight on a sunny day, whereas the tree lined slopes of the Mont Rosset and Princess give you magical visibility in snow storms and flat light conditions. There is no hesitation about venturing onto the mountain on even the snowiest of days- few people around, fantastic new snow and good visibility! Magic!
Combloux: classic skiing through pine forests on well groomed slopes- a superb day away from the crowds
St Nicolas-de-Véroce: well worth the detour to ski down to this charming Alpine village with it's Baroque church and stupendous view of Mont Blanc.
Les Contamines at the top of the valley: more excellent skiing with its wide, open slopes above the treeline. It is particularly good in early and late season, usually with excellent spring snow.
Be original, take the Tramway du Mont Blanc from the centre of St. Gervais up to the Col du Voza and ski all day in Les Houches.
Other Winter Activities:
One tends to forget that alpine skiing is not the only activity in winter. St Gervais Mont Blanc is a fabulous site for the rapidly growing sport of ski-touring with many safe trails in and above the tree line. Our local ski hire shop can kit you out with all the necessary equipment.
For the more adventurous, we can arrange guides to take you off the beaten track. The same applies for snow-shoeing. There is also an ice skating ring in St. Gervais.
Take a tandem paragliding flight from the Mont-Joux with an instructor- see the slopes from a new angle!
And why not treat yourself to a rejuvenating "après-ski" spa session at the 'Thermes', the well known spa centre in Le Fayet from where St Gervais derives it's 'Les-Bains' name.
Activities near St Gervais
Walking and Hiking:
The Mont Blanc region provides arguably some of the best walking in the world and Jeremy cannot wait to introduce you to the area. There are walks for all levels and all weather conditions, from low valley scenic ambles, to easy access high mountain hikes. Our location in St Gervais puts us at the very heart of this massive walking area; within a thirty minute drive of the chalet, we have not only the granite of the Mont Blanc massif, but also the limestone of the Grand Massif and Aravis ranges and the sedimentary rock of the Val Montjoie. This gives us not only a huge amount of walks to choose from, but also vastly different rock formations; we can put together a program of walks for you where every single day is totally different. Come and stay with us for a week and we can organise a program of totally contrasting walks that will leave you with a lasting impression of this fabulous area!
| Local sports activities |
Within 15 minutes: Mountain biking, Swimming, Horse riding, Climbing, Sports centre, Fishing, Cycling, Flying, Skiing, Golf, Walking, Tennis
Walking
Our location in St Gervais puts us at the very heart of this massive walking area; within a thirty minute drive of the chalet, we have not only the granite of the Mont Blanc massif, but also the limestone of the Grand Massif and Aravis ranges and the sedimentary rock of the Val Montjoie. This gives us not only a huge amount of walks to choose from, but also vastly different rock formations; we can put together a program of walks for you where every single day is totally different. Come and stay with us for a week and we can organise a program of totally contrasting walks that will leave you with a lasting impression of this fabulous area!
Paragliding
Come and experience a tandem paragliding flight either in winter or summer. Your first ride on the wind is a totally unforgettable experience. Our local Paragliding school, A2L Parapente, is run by Sam Sperber, who not only has well over 15000 flights under his wing, but was also winner of the tandem Coupe de France 2008.If you are already qualified and have your own wing, our region is one of the Mecca's of Paragliding in France. There are many official take off and landing sites run by the local municipalities with help from the FFVL (Féderation Francaise de Vol Libre), from where you can take full advantage of the thermals, riding round the peaks of the massif. We can organise a tandem flight to introduce you to the unique topography and flying conditions of the area to enable you to fly to the best of your ability. Contact us for more details and we will work out a program for you
Mountain Biking
The Mont Blanc region is a mountain biking paradise. And now that we have the new Diamant Vert circuits, this is a brilliant place for beginners, novices, or just plain lazy bikers like Jeremy who want the thrills without all the hard work.
Via Ferrata
Via Ferrata was originally conceived in Italy and was widely used in the Dolomites during the First World War to enable non-mountain troops to gain ascendancy over the enemy.Literally translated as 'Iron Way', today's Via Ferrata are sections of rock equipped with a fixed safety cable (to which you are permanently attached) and, where necessary, metal hand and footholds; this equipment enables people with little or no previous experience of rock climbing to encounter all the sensations of that sport. There are a number of Via Ferrata within an hour's drive of the chalet, ranging from relatively easy if it is your first time, to difficult. All the safety gear you need ( harness, 2 rope sections with carabiners and shock absorber, and a helmet) can be rented locally.
White Water Rafting
If you have never experienced this before, whitewater rafting is a must for all the family (from 7 yrs old) to try.
Other Options: Golf, Glacier Walking and lots lots more ...
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| Local leisure activities |
Within 15 minutes: Food shop, Restaurant, Shopping
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| Great for |
Walking holiday, Sight-seeing, Cycling holiday, Summer holidays, Ski Holidays |
